Agitating and mixing device



July 24, 1962 F. A. CAKE 3,045,987

AGITATING AND MIXING DEVICE Filed April 25, 1960 Frank A. Cake 4 INVENTOR.

\ BY fiemaafizm ire States atent 3,045,987 Patented July 24, 1%52 3,045,987 AGITATING AND MIXIhlG DEVICE Frank A. Cake, Franklin, La. (4214 West Central, Wichita, Kans.)

Filed Apr. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 24,560 3 Claims. (Cl. 259-72) This invention relates to an improved portable container Supporting, holding and container-contents agitating device for use where, for example, the container is filled, or partly so, with a chemical, medicinal or pharmaceutical mixture the nature of which requires the ingredients thereof to be commingled and united as a step preparatory to prescribed use.

More particularly, the device was perfected to serve in the home for mixing nail polish, medicines and the like but, obviously, the construction is such that it may be advantageously used in drug stores, hospitals, clinics, doctors offices and elsewhere where the fluidity of the containers contents necessitates vigorous shaking. To these ends a novel cradle-like holder is provided and is joined for whirling to a driven shaft, preferably a shaft on a spring-responsive or an electric motor rated to operate at a recommended but safe speed.

Briefly, the invention is characterized by a rotating and contents mixing device embodying portable self-standing means having anupstanding rotatable shaft, and a container holder mounted atop the shaft, preferably a cradlelike holder embodying container embracing and retaining fingers.

The aforementioned self-standing portable part of the over-all construction is a motor mounted on a base with the driven shaft vertically disposed. The holder is suitably mounted for operation atop the shaft and, specifically speaking, it takes the form of a springy clip, that is, a clip having a bottom with upstanding circumferentially spaced inwardly converging resilient fingers which lend themselves to accommodate and reliably hold a readily insertable and removable liquid containing bottle or an equivalent container.

It is within the purview of the invention to join the cradle or holder to the motor shaft either on center or off-center, the latter arrangement being desirable in that it rotates the bottle or container in a manner to more vigorously agitate the mixture.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

KG. 1 is a top plan view of an agitating and mixing device constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view at right angles to FIG. 2 and which illustrates the slight oil-center drive; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view, with parts in elevation and section and showing one form of separable joint be tween the cradle-type holder and driven shaft.

The portable support and motion transmitting means is preferably of the type illustrated but, obviously, a spring-responsive motor could be satisfactorily used; in fact, even a crank and gear operated (not shown) shaft rotator might be employed.

As illustrated in FIG. 2 in particular, 'the numeral 4 designates a suitable base with a fiat bot-tom 6 which renders the base self-standing. The marginal edge of the base 8 may be inclined. The motor 10 is centered atop the base and is of a cross-section less than the diameter of the base and provides a surrounding ledge 12 which is here utilized to accommodatingly mount the off-on switch 14. The current conducting cable is denoted at 16. These components are not specifically detailed inasmuch as they may, according to the manufacturers requirements, vary in construction and position. Insofar as the motor is concerned, only the motor housing or casing 18 is illustrated, the driven shaft 20 extending through the top portion thereof at '22. A rectangular container is denoted at 24. As already mentioned the expression container" is being used here in a broad sense to designate a bottle or the like containing fluid designated as a mixture and which is such in fluidity to require mixing as a step preparatory to use. Containers will vary in size and shape and for this reason the holder may have to vary in size. As here shown, this holder is of cradle-like form and is denoted generally by the numeral 26. It comprises a bottom plate or disk 28 having marginal upstanding equidistant circumferentially spaced fingers 30. These fingers are possessed of prerequisite resiliency and they toe-in and assume converging relationship and are therefore adaptable to varying usage. The upper free end portions 32 are preferably rounded to facilitate inserting the bottle or container 24. At the central or hub portion the bottom is provided on its underside with a plane-convex or an equivalent boss 34 which is connected at 36 to the upper end of the rotating shaft 20. Although the invention operates satisfactorily with the holder axially lined up with the axis of the shaft, it is preferred that the junctional connection as at 38 in FIG. 3 be slightly off center.

In practice the motor may rotate either clockwise or counterclockwise and generally at variable speeds particularly to promote safety when the invention is primarily marketed for home use.

It is thought to be a matter within the purview of the invention to provide a separable connection between the holder 26 and the shaft in order to permit holders of different sizes to be utilized especially wherein. the container would not fit suitably in the holder shown.

More specifically, the motor 10A embodies a casing 18A. The cradle-type holder 26A embodies a base or plate 40 having fingers 41, said plate provided on the bottom with a convex boss 42 having an off-center screw threaded socket 44 for the screw-threaded end of the motor shaft 46.

It is also a matter of moment to mention that while the means 26 is referred to as a holder and. is also designated as cradle-like in form or construction, the holder may also be designated, properly, it is believed, as a container supporting and holding clip.

it is believed that the simplicity of the invention is such that the mode of using it is clear and does not require a statement of instructions for use here.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

l. A portable fluid mixer comprising a base, an upstanding electric motor mounted on said base and including a vertical shaft comprising a threaded upper end portion, a holder removably mounted on the shaft, and a fluid mixing container removably mounted in the holder, said holder including a horizontal disk for receiving the container thereon, and means for releasably securing the container on the disk, said holder further including an integral lano-convex circular boss on the underside of the disk concentric therewith, said boss having a threaded vertical socket therein receiving the threaded upper end aoaaosr portion of the shaft for securing the holder thereon, said socket being cit-center whereby the boss has the multiple functions of a detachable coupling, a vibrator and a flywheel for the holder.

2. A portable fluid mixer comprising a base, an upstanding electric motor mounted on said base and including a vertical shaft comprising a threaded upper end portion, a holder removably mounted on the shaft, and a fluid mixing container removably mounted in the holder, said holder including a horizontal disk for receiving the container thereon, and means for releasably securing the container on the disk, said holder further including an integral plano-convex circular boss on the underside of the disk concentric therewith, said boss having a threaded vertical socket therein receiving the threaded upper end portion of the shaft for securing the holder theron, said socket being ofi-center whereby the boss has the multiple functions of a detachable coupling, a vibrator and a flywheel for the holder, said container being of rectangular horizontal section for agitating the fluid therein upon rotation of said container.

3. A portable fluid mixer comprising a base, an upstanding electric motor mounted on said base and including a vertical shaft comprising a threaded upper end portion, a holder removably mounted on the shaft, and a fluid mixing container removably mounted in the holder, said holder including a horizontal disk for receiving the container thereon, and means for releasably securing the the disk concentric therewith, said boss having a threaded vertical socket therein receiving the threaded upper end portion of the shaft for securing the holder thereon, said socket being off-center whereby the boss has the multiple functions of a detachable coupling, a vibrator and a flywheel for the holder, said container being of rectangular horizontal section for agitating the fluid therein upon rotation of said container, said holder still further including on the periphery of the disk a plurality of circumferentially spaced, normally upwardly convergent resilient fingers clampingly cngageable under tension with the side and end walls of the rectangular container for frictionally securing same on the disk for rotation therewith, said fingers being identical whereby the rectangular container may be mounted in difierent rotatably adjusted positions in the holder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,592,729 Pennell Apr. 15, 1952 2,864,678 Fink et a1. Dec. 16, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 921,392 France Jan. 13, 1947 538,792 Germany Nov. 21, 1931 746,990 Germany Sept. 1, 1944 

